News blog about 1. FC Cologne
Struber angry after test match draw: “It can’t be our claim”
Updated on January 10, 2025 – 10:11 p.mReading time: 5 minutes
1. FC Köln is the football club from the cathedral city. In the news ticker on t-online you will find all the important reports about the “billy goats”.
The 1. FC Köln training camp has ended. In the final test match at the Marbella Football Center, the second division leaders separated from FC Lugano 3:3 (0:0/1:2/3:3) after a planned 120 minutes. In particular, the three goals conceded, all of which arose from individual mistakes, annoyed coach Gerhard Struber against the leaders of the Swiss Super League.
“Those were individual mistakes that happened,” said Gerhard Struber after the XXL test lasting four thirty minutes and made it clear: “I expect more from that. It can’t be our goal that we concede three goals here at this level.” Marvin Schwäbe’s score at 0-1 in particular didn’t end well. An actually harmless shot slipped through the experienced keeper’s legs. In the end, FC prevailed Goals from Dominique Heintz, Meiko Sponsel and Steffen Tigges ensured a draw.
1. FC Köln will again have to be without Mark Uth for several weeks. The attacker sustained a structural injury to the calf muscles. This was revealed by an MRI examination in Cologne on Wednesday. “He was really depressed after the new diagnosis,” said coach Gerhard Struber on Thursday. The Austrian himself is “thoughtful” about his player’s health.
The injury-plagued Uth is once again threatened with a compulsory break of several weeks. “The future will show to what extent he will be able to play again,” said Struber cautiously, thereby at least raising doubts as to whether the 33-year-old can once again be a real help to the mission of resurgence this season.
Julian Pauli missed 1. FC Köln’s last training session at the training camp in Estepona. After the youngster suffered a concussion in the cup game against Hertha BSC at the beginning of December, the central defender returned to full team training in Spain.
On Thursday, however, Pauli again complained of feeling unwell and stopped training. “We are cautious about anything related to a concussion. We have now taken him out and we will see how it develops,” said Gerhard Struber after the session. It is still unclear when Pauli will be able to join again.
Elias Bakatukanda is the third winter departure on loan from 1. FC Köln after Sargis Adamyan and Florian Dietz. The central defender is leaving FC for Austria. The 20-year-old is moving to Blau-Weiß Linz, but at the same time is extending his contract in Cologne until 2028. The first loan is planned until summer 2025, but there is already agreement on a follow-up contract for another loan for the 2025/26 season.
Jonas Urbig is still unable to train with the 1. FC Köln team. The goalkeeper completed an individual training session with rehabilitation coach Leif Frach on Tuesday. Damion Downs was able to complete the first unit after recovering from illness and traveling to the training camp, but only took part in selected exercises.
1. FC Köln actually wanted to sign Gregory Wüthrich from Sturm Graz this winter. But the billy goats were skeptical due to the central defender’s medical records and refrained from making a transfer. On Monday in Estepona, the oddity happened that Wüthrich traveled with his Austrian team to the Costa del Sol for the training camp – and checked into the Hotel Kempinski just like the FC.
The former Cologne dream player is in the same team hotel as the billy goats: It’s a good thing that Jusuf Gazibegovic, another Graz native, has just moved to FC and will see his old Sturm teammates again straight away.